Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Books read May 2017

Conch Town Girl by Daniel J. Barrett
Have read another book in this series and enjoyed it immensely.
This one fills in, for me, a lot of puzzle pieces as the events were introduced with not a lot of detail in the book I read.
This
book starts out with Tillie and after seeing a man in a white van she
must leave work and hurry home to Julie who she's raising.
She is
sideswiped and lost conciousness. Julie calls Joe to come help. They
with help from others get paperwork together to get Tillie's house in
order.
Book goes back in time to when Joe attended RPI and Julie
was in Brown getting degrees and when Julie was just a teen and had
first met Joe.
Present day-they clean out the attic and find $300k
and put it in the safe deposit box, not knowing whose money it is.
Can't be Tillie's as she works as a waitress at the Waffle House. Her
parents maybe but most likely Julie's father who died young.
Joe's
friend Mark Silvia also helps out with solving who ran Tillie off the
road and whose money it is. Julie writes her saga and we learn all about
that.
We learn the relationships with those mentioned from their
past that they are still friends with. Julie feels someone is following
her, her moves as she goes from school to coaching. Her house has been
gone through...drug dealing...
What I like about this book is a
bit of romance, the location and such detailed descriptions of the
locations, the travel, mystery surrounding the accident, money and other
new things that will make the puzzle complete by the end of the book.
Loved hearing how they would take care of Tillie upon her return home. Love hearing the details of the book Julie is writing.
Many
twists and turns, WITSEC, who knew! Love all the different careers and
learning how they are done along with different ages and circumstances.
What a good rounded book. Trying to take my time reading these as I know
the next one is not quite ready yet to read.
Met via Facebook and was given a review copy and this is my honest review.

Book 4:
Never Say Never by Daniel J. Barrett
Book
starts out with Joe and his Coast Guard friend heading to meet up with
others. The FBI alerted the FL officials about a possible terrorist
threat.
As we live in the northeast we are very familiar with the
events of the Boston Marathon bombing at the finish line... and also of
the airport shooting as we have relatives close by there.
The man
landed from Boston and with his two friends ended up killing a guard and
wounding two others. Joe and Mark meet up with other officials to find
out all the details and to determine where the threat is.
Joe is
expecting to get married within a few weeks time. His girl Julie, is
staying behind finalizing her second book before it's made into a tv
movie and also has teaching to do and classes before the wedding in a
few weeks time.
They just signed on a house and will have two weddings: one in NY and one in FL.
They
go to their resources and find many clues and leads and investigate
them, detail by detail. Much action and adventure as they get
closer...you won't know til the end if they are successful. Suspenseful,
scary at times as this is our life today in the USA.
Never realized how much detail went into a cops funeral-we had opted out from much of it.
Story
also follows the perp as he dodges being caught. We learn more about
his life over the years...Especially like how some abbreviations are
given what they mean within a few sentences of first being brought up.
Never knew about the way the casket faced in the church before!
Descriptions
are so detailed it'd be too easy to turn this into a tv movie! Never
saw the ending that occurred! At times there seems to be a lot of people
but they become clear during the book.
This book kept me up at night reading and on a weekend-I never do that!
Love
that I learned a lot of new things, understood what was going on and
Like turn by turn driving directions so we can follow along.
all
the mystery and adventure and action along with a good story line.
Twists and turns! I can tell from some references to how others had met
that the prior books in this series would go into more detail about the
circumstances. Can't wait to read more of them.
Met via Facebook and was given a review copy and this is my honest review.

The Other Side of Horse Racing by Philip Nork
Enjoy learning about horses and have yet to ride one but want to learn more about them.
Enjoy the Derby and other races in May but more about finding out about the people who train them and ride them.
Gambling
is an escape and ends up being an addiction. Bobby Tucker grew up with
no father, those he loved had died. It's best to just go on by himself
he thinks.
Love that it explains all the terms about betting and place the horse comes up at the end of the race.
Strikes
up friendships with some ladies and pops. Different track where the
horses run got him unnerved and things just aren't right...
Loved hearing all the stats, percentage wise about the different tracks and horses. Wind and drafting totally makes sense!
Word gets around among the teens and they use him for his winning bets.
Time
goes on and things go horribly wrong on all counts. After graduation he
goes with his father to live in FL. He hopes to remake himself and be
more outgoing.
He gets a job and once again you wonder if he's done with gambling.
Tough love sets in and you hope he will wake up from his nightmare....Love the opportunity that is offered.
Lots of twists throughout this book, left you guessing what could happen next.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.

Misguided Sensitivity by Philip Nork
This book starts out with the author's struggles through childhood as his parents divorced.
He
had others in his life as he grew up and treasures everything he learns
from them. The lessons he learned are listed in the chapters.
Love that he is able to get something and give something to others in return and how he meets them again later in life.
Remember
our skating days and wondered if I ever skated past my spouse as we
didn't know one another til 10 years later-fond memories.
Author
writes his side of the story and you get a glimpse of the other's
thoughts as well. Love school writing assignment where the class all
realize one major thing that effects them all. Everybody has their own
plan of action to be accepted into society.
Love the definition of acquaintance and I have a ton of them, LOL
Feel like I've learned so much and it's been right in front of me the whole time. Can't wait to read other works by this author.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.

Life Balance by Philip Nork
This book summarizes the prior book in the series: Misguided sensitivity and then moves on to when the male character is older.
Heartache,
struggles, joy, death, medical emergencies, emptiness-he sometimes
needs help to get through life that balances good and bad.
He wonders if the gift is actually a curse. He needs to take control of his own destiny, find his spiritual self again.
For the summer he and his younger brother head to FL where his father lives and they reconnect and he learns of his life there.
He
decides to live in FL after their return, he cuts away from everybody
he knows in St. Louis after a huge going away party from the roller
rink.
FL has many opportunities for him as he takes it all in. Love the descriptions of the rides, so detailed I feel like I am there.
Auras
are fascinating to learn about. This book is so involved with the
people he meets and each one gives another clue to the puzzle of his
life.
At times you wonder if he will find one to really love and
grow old with. Love the visits from Nana and what rain and roses
signify.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.

My Review:The Beach Inn By Joanne DeMaio This book starts out where the last one left off. Follows those working/living in Stony Point, CT. Seaside
New England village where everything is in place. Lots of surprises in
this book. Can't seem to get past the shanty and how Maris is shown it
for the first time.It's breathtaking-the romance and atmosphere of a great healing place.Book
follows Maris and Jason in their endeavors. Elsa at her house-not quite
sure what to do yet-sell or open it as a B&B now that Sal is
gone. Twists and turns in this book.Lauren and Kyle-love her
driftwood items and he at the diner. Glimpses into the past books so you
are not left out in the dark, but not all the details.Memories of
those no longer there are spread throughout the book making you wish you
had known them better while they were there.Love how Neil's
manuscript reflects his friends lives. Especially love all the things
that make this come to life. Community sticks together to help each one
heal.Received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.

My Review:Miss Hastings' Excellent London Adventure by Cheryl Bolen
Although this is part of a series I was not left out in the dark at all.
This book starts out with Emma Hastings and she's on her way to meet her uncle so one day she will take over the business.
Problem is he never shows so she enters the tavern and asks where the West End is as she's not familiar with her surroundings.
They tell her and also that no woman should be out at night alone on the streets.
Story
also follows Adam Birmingham and his brother Nick. Adam is drinking
himself silly over the Italian Opera singer he was in love with that
doesn't want me... he leaves a tavern, heading home. He meets Emma and
he accompanies her to her uncles to find out he is not in.
She
spends the night at Adam's house and he remembers why the uncle won't be
answering the door. He takes her under his wing and they visit the
solicitor to find out more details where she learns more information on
family matters.
It's all so hopeless at this point you wonder how she will ever survive, alone and on her own.
This
is a lot of action and what I really liked was that there is a huge
mystery that Adam gets help from his brothers to help solve. Love how
the brothers wives help her with fashion and other intimate things that
she has no idea about as she'd never left her aunt's house in the
country.
Love the travel and dire circumstances that it all leads up to. Love the mystery ride as I took my husband on one last Saturday!
You'd not go wrong reading this book. I don't even have to know what the book is about to appreciate and enjoy Cheryl's books.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.

Coming
Home ~ A Tiny House Collection by Ane Mulligan, Linda W. Yezak, Pamela
S. Meyers, Yvonne Anderson, Kimberli S. McKay, Michael Ehret, Chandra
Lynn Smith
Wanted to read this book because the stories are based
around tiny houses which I've read a lot about. Still not sure how I'd
get my yarn and quilting supplies in there. The local tiny house
community also comes with a POD I guess so you can swap out your
seasonal clothes and decorations.
Interesting learning how they do
survive living where they do. Have seen stairs used as storage in a
regular house and love them!
Some stories enforce the path God has led them down.
What
I like about this collection is learning about new careers and how they
are done. All about tiny houses and those living in them from all walks
of life.
Especially like the different locations, especially the
ice road-we need one but the bay doesn't freeze often. Being blind I
loved the one where the female trains the dogs and uses German phrases
to command them. I've seen/heard the commands from friends.
Some
include excerpts from the next in the series...most are romance but some
are scary and mysterious themes. Each one kept my interest because they
were so varied from one another.
Received a copy from the author via BookFun.org and this is my honest review.

Her Sinful Secret by Jane Porter
Haven't read the others in the series but reading this one I did not feel left out of the loop.
Logan Copeland has secrets and needs to tell the billionaire Rowan of one of them before he takes her to his castle...
He's
only protecting her from harm but she paid for one night with a high
price. Now that they are together she yearns for his touch as she's felt
it before but he has stipulations...
Great read, has a bit of everything, twists and turns, romance, mysteries and love.
Received a review copy from the author and this is my honest review.

JOURNEY to a STRONG TOWER by Marcia Laylock
This
story is about Pince Eghan who's been taken on his 16th birthday. The
enemy wants to tell him of what will happen to his father the king, his
guardian and the castle because they did not listen.
Story follows
Eghan and also chapters of his father and guardian. Also chapters of
the enemy and their plans to destroy the castle and king.
His
keeper, his uncle tells Eghan of his mother-his sister. Eghan has chores
and The Book, of his mothers to study but he finds it hard ot
understand. The chores his servant would've done and he's above that, or
is he? If he wants to eat...
Passages from the bible are quoted. Everybody must help out with haying, both valleys even though snow is coming.
We
also are able to watch as the guardian is trying to infiltrate the
group so he can learn about Eghans whereabouts but he gets into trouble
with the heavy snow...
Love how the One True God is being preached upon Eghan, his guardian and his father from all different locations...
Love the name of the book and it's symbolism during the story.
I was given the book by the author via Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review

Good Enough by Pamela Gossiaux
Book
starts out with a writer, Amy heading to work: gets in an accident but
other driver was texting, she lost her job, her boyfriend and the
engagement ring in his pocket.
Nothing goes right but with the
last snide remark of him she picks up the lottery ticket that his
pregnant girl has dropped. Things just get worse, arrest for trying to
get her clothes back...
The lottery ticket is the winner, problem is her ex boyfriend might think he owns it so she hides it from everyone...
She
has a dream of running a magazine with help of a life coach. She gets a
building, printing presses and has money to hire others to write a
column.
And just when you think she's got it all covered she
realizes her assistance is the pregnant girlfriend of her ex, except now
she has the disabled baby. Her brother has secrets about Josh, her life
coach also.
Things just don't go well....so much had turned upside down despite all the good she's done.
She
has the power to make it all happen...if only others will forgive her.
Loved this story for the romance, hard work, play time in NYC and just
unexpected things. So many twists and turns and NOT predictable by a
long shot.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end. Would enjoy reading more of this authors works.
Received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.

The seed collectors by Thomas Scarlett
Some have received real seeds, others are deadly from the woman who ran the orchard and is now dead.
Others in the family and there seems to be such an emphasis placed on sex, adultery etc.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Salmon: The Ultimate Guide by Kimberly Hansan
Love salmon and always willing to try new recipes.
Each
recipe includes prep/cook, ready time, servings, list of ingredients,
how to make the dish. There are NO pictures and no nutritional
information.
For the most part the ingredients are fresh and
healthy and you should be able to substitute for a healthy option when
using cooking spray and oils/butter.
Some of the recipes use grams
and metric measurements for ingredients and other recipes use cup and
teaspoon (American) measurements.
Not sure why the two different kinds.
Lots of different choices and combinations of flavors.

The
Incredible Life of the Sea Turtle: Fun Animal Ebooks for Adults
& Kids 7 and Up With Incredible Photos (Exploring Our Incredible
World Series) by Mark Smith (Author)
They just announced
locally it's that time of the year where beach access will be restricted
so the turtles and bring their eggs to higher grounds.
Very colorful book explaining what happens with the turtles starting at when the eggs are hatched.
Goes through the different stages of their life and how they are able to survive.
Dangers
they encounter are also shown. Love seeing the tracks from the sand
dunes to the ocean-trail that the turtles took to find the ocean.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the beginning and more at the end of the book.

Simply Seafood: Delicious Seafood Recipes by BookSumo Press
Recipes include easy seafood dishes. Common abbreviations and a brief intro start this book out.
Recipes
include title and list of ingredients and how to make the dish. Prep
time, cook and total time. Nutritional information includes calories,
fat-NOT broken up into good or bad, carbs, protein, cholesterol and
sodium.
Grilled salmon looks like the recipe we use, very tasty. Free ebook offer at the end.

All American Favorites: 35 Delicious Family Recipes That Will Make You The Star Of The Show by Dan Alatorre
Starts out with other works by the author. Short intro about family holidays.
Bonus recipes included.
Each
recipe includes list of ingredients and how to make the dish. No
servings, no nutritional information although you might be able to
substitute for a healthier option.
There are NO pictures, just old
time favorite dishes for a holiday celebration that has been handed
down from generation to generation.

Solar System For Kids! A Comet Book: Fun Facts & Pictures of Space & Comets With Comet ISON by Leanne Annett
Colorful book about comets. Starts out with comets and fun facts about them. Pictures to go along with what is being read.
So many interesting things to learn about. They are summarized at the end of the book.

Greek Cookbook Series by Multiple Authors
Contents
include an introduction that talks about the Mediterranean diet and how
healthy it is. What to cot down on and what to eat more of.
Each
recipe starts with servings, list of ingredient shown with a picture of
the item a color photo and how to put the dish together.
There is
no nutritional information but a large majority of the ingredients are
healthy. Wish they had an American name to the dish or a brief summary
of what it is.
Shrimp skewed look very appetizing!

Feel Like Baking by Emily Jensen
Contents include cakes, puddings cobbler and other favorites.
Each recipe include title, list of ingredients and how to make it. There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
You should be able to substitute for healthy ingredients, light or low fat variety. Can't wait to try the carrot cake.

Make Condiments from Scratch: Fabulous Recipes for Fresh Flavors and Healthier Lifestyles by Amber Richards
Recipes
includes : hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, warm butter sauces, pan
sauces and gravies, vinaigrette and dressings, sauce vierge, tomato
sauce, salsas, chili sauces, butters, jams and spreads,
jellies,
relishes, chutneys, white sauces, brown sauces, vegetable based sauces,
savory fruit sauces, sweet dessert sauces, zabaglione sauces, flavored
syrup sauces
Each recipe includes a color photo, servings,
ingredients and how to make. There is no nutritional information and
there are a lot of different varieties including light or low fat.
Very interesting flavor combinations.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Food Truck Cuisine: Discover Delicious Recipes from Food Truck Kitchens by J. R. Stevens
Book starts out with free ebook offer. Contents include: tacos, sandwiches/hoagies, and noodles recipes.
Each
recipe includes title, prep, cook, ready in minutes, servings and list
of ingredients along with how to make the dish. There are NO pictures.
There is no nutritional information available. You might be able to substitute for a healthier option due to your dietary needs.
The big easy fries sound interesting as they are baked.

Busy Bees ABC by Peter Lawson
Very colorful children's book that shows the alphabet with the help from the bees.
The
words the bees find are written out along with showing a picture of
them. My favorite is the V for vase-has awesome flowers in it.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

34 Gourmet Food Recipes For Weeknights by Pamela Kazmierczak
Book
starts out with recipes after a brief intro. Each recipe has a title,
ingredient list and how to make the dish and serving suggestions.
There are No pictures and no nutritional information.
You
might be able to substitute some ingredients for a healthier option for
your dietary needs. 2 sticks of butter is gonna be hard to substitute
and get the same flavor.
Chicken recipes, lamb, beef and pork and seafood. My selection would be one of the seafood dishes.

Tough girls don't knit and other tales of stylish subversion by Freda Garmaise
Story
of a woman in England who goes through the process of getting divorced.
Comical at times, the stories and events she goes through prior, during
and after.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The Cinco De Mayo Cookbook: Authentic Mexican Recipes to Celebrate the Holiday by BookSumo Press
As this holiday is tomorrow I thought maybe I could find a meal for us to enjoy to help celebrate.
Book
starts out with other works by the author, an intro, bio and contents:
easy cinco de mayo recipes and so many other variations of dishes.
Common abbreviations start off the book then the recipes.
Has English name and Spanish name and list of ingredients. Directions are included along with prep, cooking, and total times.
Nutritional information includes calories, fat NOT broken up into good or bad, carbs, protein, cholesterol and sodium.
There
are NO pictures. For some of the recipes-the ones in particular that
call for a can of tomato sauce you should be able to substitute for a
healthier option by using diced tomatoes and putting them in the
cuisnart.
Some of the seasonings I am not familiar with. My
favorite to try would be Arroz con Pollio II, rice and chicken, sounds
nice and spicy hot but I'd substitute out for less sodium content.

Books
for Kids: Bubbles: Big Stink in Frog Pond (Children’s Book, Picture
Books, Preschool Books, Baby Books, Kids Books, Ages 3-5): Children's
Picture Book Kindle Edition
Colorful children's story about a frog named Bubbles. The trouble in Frog Pond was all his fault.
He
stinks and the others do not like it, one bit. One suggested he eat
different bugs. One good thing he discovers is he can scare the boys
away from catching frogs-because he smells SO bad.
Cute story.

French Bistro Cooking: Easy Classic French Cuisine Recipes to Make at Home by Sarah Spencer
Starts out with what French bistro cooking is and the atmosphere of it all.
Each recipe has a title, cook time, prep time, servings, some have a color photo.
List of ingredients (fresh vegetables) along with directions.
No nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Chapters include Appetizers, soups and stews, poultry, pork and veal, beef, coastal seafood,
Vegetables and side dishes, sweet French endings and a chart for converting measurements.
My favorite to try would be the salmon and glazed turnips.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

May 2017 Book Fun Magazine by Book Fun Magazine
Really enjoyed this magazine this month for a few reasons.
The usual contributors and more, insight into their lives and i enjoy following them and their family and travels.
New
authors and their works that are available to read and review. That's
what I really appreciate from this magazine every month is what you can
learn from it.
Beautiful pictures to help tell the story and there are recipes to enjoy.
You too can join and they will give you free books to read and review. It's that easy.

Mister B: Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist by A.L. Byk
I was given the book by the author via Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review
This
book starts out with the family moving into their fathers house. Love
hearing of the blimps and what they were really all about. Same with
Apollo explosion and why although the officials never told you.
The
father (father in law), Mister B loves to learn how things works, like a
computer so he studies at his local library-walking there as he no
longer drives. He doesn't have a computer just wants to learn all about
them.
So many other subjects come up. Helium in TX-this guy would
do well on Jeopardy. The family is giving it a year to see if they like
living with their father before they decide what to do next. They had
sold their house but didn't make much money on it as they owed so many
people money.
Love the pictures along the way. Book is set up like
a diary or journal where it's written in on a daily if not weekly
basis. Love time spent where prayer and much thought goes into things
they always wondered about.
Living in Woonsocket, RI growing up near cotton mills. Love what they all sacrifice so an old man can remain in his house.
I was given the book by Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and here is my honest review.

Amazing Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes: Easy to Prep within 15 Minutes by Iris Cook
Each recipe includes nutrition facts calories, total fat-not usually broken up into good and bad, cholesterol, sodium and carbs.
Prep
and cook time. List of ingredients, which you should be able to
substitute for your own dietary needs for a healthier option, directions
on how to make.
Tips along the way. Not all start out in the slow cooker so there may be more dishes to wash.
Has categories for breakfast, lunch and dinner with many varieties to choose from.

5 Ingredient Cookbook: 50 Delicious Quick and Easy Recipes That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients or Less by Nancy Kelsey
Starts
out with free ebook. Large intro section on why to use a slow cooker,
health wise and time. Recipes have a picture along with prep time, total
time and servings.
List of ingredients you may be able to substitute for your dietary needs and instructions to make the dish.
There
is nutritional information: Serving size # per recipe,calories,
calories from fat, total fat, sat. fat, cholesterol, sugars, sodium,
total cabs, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein.
There are a lot to choose from and some I never thought of to cook in the slow cooker.
Thought of the pork chops but they use a few cans of soup which each contain large amounts of salt.
Muffins
and cookies, dishes for one serving. Apple dessert would be our option
to try as we can control the products going into the dish.

Pie Recipes, The Ultimate Guide by Encore Publishing
Each
include a title, prep, cook, ready in time, servings. List of
ingredients and some you might be able to substitute for your dietary
needs and instructions in how to make the dish.
There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
Some recipes ask you to use a prepared box mix
Also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner pies and regional pies from all over the world.

SEX, SOUP AND THE TWO FISTED EATING: HILARIOUS WEIGHT LOSS FOR WIVES BY KATIE ROBLES
Was skeptical wanting to read this book but the author in chat assured us we would be laughing.
She was right! Besides having discussions about sex, soups and religion you just can't see it all going together but it does.
There
are quotes from all over the Bible to back up what's being said. It's
basically a book about a lifestyle including sleep, soup and exercise.
We follow the Mediterranean lifestyle and this sounds very similar to it
as the food is very healthy.
Lots of recipes but no nutritional
information but you can tell from the healthy ingredients it will taste
good and still be good nutrition wise.
Love how she tells you to
experiment with all aspects of this til you get the right combination to
make it all work for you. For her it helped solve her weight problem
and high cholesterol problem. For us it's just a way of life now-don't
want any more heart attacks.
What causes us concern is still
seeing all the bad food others eat at work to no avail telling them to
better themself-they want no part of it=maybe after they have a heart
attack they will be persuaded. Love resources by chapter although she's
not a licensed nutritionist she's done her homework!
I was given the book by the author via Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and here is my honest review.

Taking Care Of Your Own by Daniel J. Barrett
This story involves Joe and the rear admiral has put out a plea for help.
It
involves the kilos of cocaine that were obtained from a seizure and
through the process of destroying them, some have gone missing, rumors
state they got back to the original Colombians.
Joe with help from Mark and Frank and others think he can find out what's going on.
Story
also follows Julie, teacher's aide, career counselor at school, coach
and an author who's going to meet with Joe and Disney to get the details
of the movie deal they will offer her. She also wants to find a house
to move into before the wedding as she's not going to live with Tilly
forever.
Lots of action, romance, and so many mysteries and clues.
Learned so much about the process of the drug dealing, ability of
drones.
One of the guards also has a family emergency when she calls Joe for help...
So much to appreciate from reading this book.
Met via Facebook and was given a review copy and this is my honest review.

Can't Sing or Dance by Daniel J. Barrett
Have read various books in the series and can't wait to fill in the missing pieces.
This one starts out with Joe and his friends' father is charged with drug dealing.
Other familiar characters from the other books are also in this one, making it family based.
Story
also follows Julie-the one Joe plans to marry some day. Tilly is also
present as she works at the local waffle house. Past events are
presented but not details.
Love the directions, you can trace wherever they go yourself. Lots of action, mystery, twists and a bit of romance.
Brutal
identifying the body...there was so much more he and Mark and Frank
needed to investigate: the car, wifi, ipad, drugs, gangs, missing files,
use of drones...
Love the action and how they get the clues
solved as they lead to more. Like how the relationship is moving along
between Joe and Julie.
Love all the locations and descriptions of interesting things to see and do.
Met via Facebook and was given a review copy and this is my honest review.

Zucchini – The Ultimate Recipe Guide by Daniel Tyler
Like
this cookbook because you can sneak in zucchini in many different ways.
I've made muffins and even put in carrots and the family loves them.
Each recipe has a title, prep, total time, cook time and servings.
Ingredient list and you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs, also directions on how to make the dish.
There is no nutritional information and there are NO pictures.
Plan to try the delicious zucchini mixed muffins later this week.
Lots of different dishes available to make.

Appalachian spring by Bonta_ Marcia
The family bought a spot on the mountain and they just had nature around them. Every person has a special thing they follow.
Actually
starts in Jan/Feb with mating of squirrels and it goes on from there
til it's a daily journal of the natural world til the end of June.
Besides
animals seen and what activities they are doing, the sounds there are
also sightings of birds, insects, and all kinds of flowers and trees
budding.
Loved hearing of the lake ride while looking at the star constellations.
So many facts about the lives of the animals and birds.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The little fir tree by Margaret Wise Brown
Story of a little tree and it's life as it grows up and what it means to the little boy who gets it for a Christmas tree.
Great children's story from one of the best authors. They return the tree to the forest and sing carols and decorate the tree.
Poem about the holiday. Man who normally got the tree didn't come one year.
Great surprise for all.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The big sneeze by Ruth Brown
Children's story of a farmer taking a nap in the barn one hot summer day.
Farmer sneezes that the fly lands on a spider, that captured the fly and the list goes on.
Farmer's wife asks what is going on, LOL
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Tiny
House: Advantage – Living Large! (2nd Edition) (homesteading, off grid,
log cabin, tiny homes, container homes, country living, RV) by Thom
Archard
Book about downsizing, small houses and tiny homes, benefits of each.
Myths are discussed and often found not true about tiny houses.
History of tiny houses has a chapter.
Organization to see if you could even live in a tiny house is talked about. Conservation and bills.
Trailer dimensions to tow the tiny house has a chart that shows each state regs.
So much to take into count. There are also books at the end of help along the journey.
Bonus ebooks are listed at the end.

Bastes: The Ultimate Recipe Guide by Bridgette Conners
This basting and marinade book includes recipes for steak, chicken, and pork dishes.
Each recipe includes title, prep and cook time, ready in and servings.
List of ingredients and you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs, along with directions on how to make the dish.
There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
Surprised there is no section for fish. Other free offers available via a clickable link.

Legends Of BBQ: 50 Knock-Out Barbecue Recipes For Your Next Smoking Adventure (Rory's Meat Kitchen) by Rory Botcher
Starts out with introduction about the benefits of the recipes and smoking them in your cooker.
Each recipe has a title, prep, cook times and servings.
Ingredients and directions along with a tip on how to make it tastier.
Nutritional information includes calories, total fat-NOT broken into good and bad, protein, total carbs.
There are no pictures. All recipes are for a cooker. Charts showing what equipment and tools that are needed.
Free ebook is linked at the end along with a shopping list.
I
don't have a cooker and thought this was a book about just bbq'ing on
the grill=I did not read the whole title. Has all the details you need
to learn about smoking in the cooker.

Kale Recipes: Healthy, Nutritious and Delicious Kale Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and More by Ranae Richoux
Like kale soup we make and we grow our own kale and will grow more now that I know I can freeze it.
Discusses how else you can have kale besides eating the leaves. Nutritional value is also discussed.
History, health benefits, free ebooks link.
Each recipe has a color photo, servings, time to make along with a summary of the dish.
Ingredient
list which some items you might be able to substitute for a healthier
option along with directions in how to make the dish.
There is NO nutritional information. Using it on our omelets would be an excellent idea.
Smoothie recipe are included. Also a section on juicing. Free ebooks available.

Tapas Recipes by Jackie Swansen
Recipes for tapas from around the world.
Each recipe includes: prep and cook time, ready in along with servings.
Ingredient
list and how to make the dish. There are NO pictures. There is no
nutritional information but you might be able to substitute for your
dietary needs.
Like the idea of putting shrimp with other ingredients into a bell pepper. Quite a variety to choose from.
Also gluten free, vegan, vegetarian recipes are also included. Other works by the author are at the end via a clickable link.

30 Delicious Poke Cake Recipes by Lori Burke
Starts out with introduction about what poke cakes are and how they became a hit in the 70's.
Has section for those with health concerns and what you can use to substitute for a healthier option.
Has recipes for cake mixes if you don't want to buy one at the store.
Each
recipe has a summary of what the dish is, list of ingredients, multiple
ways for directions in how to make the cake part, and the filling and
how to assemble and bake.
There are NO pictures. There is NO nutritional information.
There
are clickable links in the book. Bake from scratch recipes at the end
would allow you to substitute ingredients for your dietary needs.
Also a section for jams, spreads, toppings for the poke cakes.

Billy the Coral Snake by A. J. Cosmo
Story of a snake who has no friends. He wanders around and asks other animals to play with him.
Some dine with him and he learns the truth about why others don't want to be friends with him til...
Cute colorful children's story. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

The best component is Yogurt. Cookbook: 25 perfect homemade recipes with yogurt by Ryan Hart
We make our yogurt in the electric pressure cooker and am hoping to find more delicious recipes to try.
Starts out with why yogurt is good for you.
Recipes included Title, cooking time, portions, list of ingredients and how to make.
There are pictures but NO nutritional information.
Has
recipes for dishes, meals and beverages and desserts. Find the content
too high in sugar for us to consider but you might be able to substitute
for a healthier option.
Free ebook link at the end.

Besides being an Amazon enthusiast for gardening and cooking I want
to be invited to another group where I can get my hands on advanced
reader copy-read before it's available to the public.
Hope you can find some here and are able to mark at Amazon as 'being helpful'
Thanks

A Prairie Cookbook: Memories and Recipes by Philip Wik
Midwest memories with sketches of maps and instructions on how to do certain things.
Home canning and breakfast of days gone by compared to what we eat today.
Talks about Inex Clifford and how remarkable she was in the time.
Bread making with recipes and I'm going to try the cornbread for our meal tonight. Just trying to find the perfect one for us.
Facts
and history of how others arrived in the area. What they did for fun,
carried in their lunch pails and the era of the radio.
Made the
corn bread and it came out perfect, doesn't crumble and is sweet enough,
no grit. I even substituted the shortening with vegetable oil.
A KEEPER!

Clean Eating: The Most WANTED Recipes And Plans For Optimal Health And Staying Lean For Life
Starts out with an introduction to clean eating and what else it consists of besides eating for a healthier lifestyle.
Has examples of fat burning exercises you can do and pictures of what foods are in what groups.
Breakfast
recipes start out with the title, ingredient list, and how to make the
dish. There are very few pictures here and no nutritional information.
Some things you'll have no problem substituting for a healthier option.
Love Mediterranean omelet as it's one we have every Sunday using fresh spices and herbs and vegetables.
What I find confusing are mixing US and England measurements in the same recipe.

Backyard Bird Guide: Attracting Wild Birds to Your Yard
Don't want to really attract them as they already live nearby. We start hearing them about 5am if not sooner.
Explains what backyard birding is all about.
Few
colorful pictures. Tells you what you will need for which type of bird
you want to attract and why it'd be good for your yard and
surroundings.
Lots of information about a journal, keep birds
happy with clean area, water and food. How to choose a good birdbath,
feeder and birdhouse.
Charts and resources are also listed.

101 Quick & Easy 5 Ingredient Recipes by Victoria Steele
Lots
of different categories including appetizer, drinks, salads, breads,
main dishes, cakes, pies, vegetables, potatoes, cookies,
Some of
these recipes I can make in my electric pressure cooker, sauteing the
meat first then adding all the other ingredients and cooking for less
than 5 minutes.
Like bread recipes, so basic and I can substitute for healthier options of ingredients.
The recipes have a title and list of ingredients and how to make.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan: Quick and Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Weight Loss by Naomi Rowland
Introduction about what the meal plan is all about, not just for losing weight but a lifestyle choice.
Gives listing of things to substitute for that will meet your dietary needs.
Recipe include title, servings, calories and list of ingredients.
Directions are included.
There are No pictures and no nutritional information and you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Basic but colorful dishes if you have the time to make them.

Breakfast
Recipes: 50 Delicious, Super Easy, Healthy 3 Steps Or Less Breakfast
Recipes For Family & Friends by Nancy Kelsey
Each recipe comes with a small picture, list of ingredients and how to make the dish.
There
is also a label pasted near the recipe that includes nutritional
information: fat broken up into good and saturated, sodium also.
Problem is you can't increase the font size or picture to actually read it without a magnifying glass.
Some of the recipes also use prepared foods.
Best for us would be apple oatmeal muffins as I can control the sugar and oils used. Other items by the author are linked.

Fantastic Facts About Bees: Illustrated Fun Learning For Kids by Miles Merchant
Starts
out with offering other works by the author for free. Intro about what
a bee is and what they look like and what they do.
What they eat and what their mouths look like along with showing you by pictures.
How they are the same and not the same in other aspects and species of other bees.
Like the parts where they talk about pollinating the flowers and vegetables growing.
More works by the author are highlighted at the end.
So very informative.

Children's
Books: EVERYONE HAS A MOTHER (Fun, Adorable, Rhyming Bedtime
Story/Picture Book, for Beginner Readers, Honoring Mothers of all Kinds,
Including Animals, Ages 2-8) by Sally Huss
Have read other works
by the author and have enjoyed them. This is is a colorful children's
book about being born or hatched and how everyone has a mother.
Other pages show a picture of what's being discussed: birds with their young.
Features 27 different animals and then people and how to thank your mother.
Sample of her other works is included along with a list of her other works.

Spring is Here! by Uncle Amon
Different chapters with different people describe what spring air means to them.
Farmer notices the flowers coming up first and knows winter is done.
Another chapter they realize a lot more sun. Another notices the spring and some animals foul smells.
How spring effects animals that sleep the winter away.
Very few pictures. Other works by the author

The 30 Day Whole Food Challenge: 180 Whole Food Recipes for YOUR Healthy Life by Jennifer Evans
Starts with a free ebook gift then the introduction. Clean eating along with recipes.
Talks about use of high fat content foods and how to substitute for them in recipes.
Starts out with recipes for breakfast, lunch, appetizers, fish and seafood, other dishes, desserts and snacks.
Each
recipe has a summary of the dish, prep, cook times and servings along
with list of ingredients and how to make. The nutritional information
has calories, fat-NOT broken u pinto good and bad, fiber, carbs,
protein.
NO sodium or sugar levels listed. There are NO pictures.
For the most part the ingredients are healthy and you should have no problem substituting for your dietary needs.
What
I do like are the recipes for just two servings, perfect for us. Hate
having leftovers for 5 days after you first started eating it.

Chicken Does Not Want to Be a Chicken By Elsa Takaoka and Catherine Toennisson
Colorful children's book about a chicken. Very specific pictures as to what the words say.
Problem is the chicken wants no part of being a chicken: clucking, peck, laying an egg.
He wants to be another animal and do everything they do until one chases him!
Because of what happens you wonder if he will still want to be that animal or be a chicken.
Cute story!

Mother's Love Can Conquer Any Fear!: - A perfect Bedtime story book for kids by Subhash Kommuru
Too difficult to read as I can't increase the font size.

Oh, Sweet Pea You Are Beautiful by B.G. Jenkins
Children's
colorful book. Words can not be increased making it too difficult to
read and the pictures do not tell the whole story.
Words tell you about sweet pea and her story. Talks about how she grew with sun and rain. She just wants to help her friends.
Found a lot of pages were repetitious.

The Samosa Cookbook: 30 Crispy and Crunchy Samosa Recipes by Bobby Flatt
Each recipe starts with a summary of the dish, servings and prep time. List of ingredients and how to make the dish.
Not sure of some of the recipes and wonder why in some recipes the measurements are in US and England, mixed in the same recipe.

Delicious Dessert Recipes: Become a Sweet Tooth with The Amazing Dessert Cookbook by Bobby Flatt
Beautiful photo along with a summary of the dish, prep time, servings and list of ingredients and directions for each dish.
There
is no nutritional information. Confused about some of the ingredients;
what is 6 pieces of eggs? Some of the recipes I would try substituting
for a healthier option especially the cookies.
Desserts seem to be of a special occasion, like once a year.

Favorite Cake Mix Recipes by Southern Soup Jockeys
Starts out with a recipe which list the ingredients of cake mixes and other ingredients, how to make the dish.
There are no pictures. There is no nutritional information.
This cookbook is about using a regular cake mix and enhancing it a bit with other items to make it special.
Has chapters on making bread, cookies, etc with a cake mix.
I'm not comfortable substituting for the ingredients myself due to dietary needs.
Like the two ingredient cake and have seen and tasted this in WVa on our trip for a family wedding.

The Garlic Chef: The Ultimate Guide by Sara Hallas
Starts with an intro about garlic and it's beneficial healthy attributes.
Breakfast
item start with title, prep, cook and ready in time, servings and list
of ingredients and directions in how to make. There is no nutritional
information and no pictures.
What I like about the recipes are that they are for two servings-perfect for a couple and for the most part healthy ingredients.
I'd not have a problem substituting for even healthier outcome.
Appetizers, lunch, and dinner meals.
Herby garlicky fish and vegetables sound good. We often use the grill to prepare our food year round.
Side dishes, snacks and dessert recipes also.
Some ingredients I've never heard of...

How to Cook Restaurant-Quality Lean Meat-Pork Loin: How to Cook Restaurant-Quality Lean Meat by Tony James Miller
Intro talks about bad rep pork gets and how it's really a good source of lean protein.
Explains how to cook it properly, roasting along with basic recipes for seasonings.
This
gives me a great example of what I can put even on pork chops-I have
tons of spices and not sure what exactly goes with what foods.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information but you should be able to substitute for your dietary needs.
Like stir fry and grilled recipes. There are also deep fry recipes, grilled recipes,
Each new section tells you other tips to make the dish come out right.

Soulful Southern Cooking: Favorite Southern Comfort Food Recipes by Louise Davidson
Starts
with an intro then onto the recipes: appetizers where you are given a
summary of the dish, servings, ingredient list, and how to put the dish
together and cook.
There are no pictures and no nutritional information. In some you should have no problem substituting for a healthier option.
Other chapters include Main entrees, sides and desserts along with list of author's other works.
Cooking conversion charts and temperature guide are also included.

Classic Potato Salad – America and Europe: 35 Recipes by Pippa Pralen
What I like about this is the opportunity to try other countries recipes.
Each
recipe includes a nice colorful photo, the dish title, summary of what
it is and list of ingredients along with instructions on how to make.
There is NO nutritional information but most of the ingredients appear to be on the healthy side.
Think I'd sub olive oil and herbs for the mayonnaise.
Along with the recipes there is history of potato salad. Some of the recipes include servings.
Like the different spices and herbs in the salads.